Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec;25(6):3027-3039.
doi: 10.1111/hex.13610. Epub 2022 Oct 28.

Assessing the environment for engagement in health services: The Audit for Consumer Engagement (ACE) tool

Ashfaq Chauhan  1 , Bronwyn Newman  1 , Ramesh Lahiru Walpola  2 , Holly Seale  2 , Elizabeth Manias  3 , Carlene Wilson  4   5 , Reema Harrison  1
Affiliations

Assessing the environment for engagement in health services: The Audit for Consumer Engagement (ACE) tool

Ashfaq Chauhan et al. Health Expect. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Although it is widely accepted that the physical environment can impact health quality and care outcomes, its impact on consumer engagement with health services has not been examined. Currently, no tools exist that assess the opportunities for consumer engagement offered within the physical environment. We aimed to develop and validate an environmental audit tool to assist health services and researchers to assess the extent to which the physical environment in health services creates and supports opportunities for consumer engagement.

Method: An iterative, team-based approach in partnership with diverse stakeholders was used to develop the Audit for Consumer Engagement (ACE) tool. A four-stage process consisting of desktop review, concept clarification, identification of domains and validation was implemented. The tool was validated in one cancer service via face and content validation and inter-rater reliability was also assessed.

Results: The ACE tool was demonstrated to comprise four main domains (access and signage information; resources for consumers; resources to support diversity; and consumer engagement events or activities) measured with 17 items. Face and content validity was achieved, and preliminary reliability analysis indicated substantial agreement between the two researchers for all four domains with an average of 86% agreement.

Conclusion: The ACE is a novel tool that is practical, relevant and reliable, and developed in partnership with consumers and health service providers. The tool can be used by health service providers, researchers and consumer agency groups to assess opportunities for consumer engagement offered within the physical environment of cancer services. The ACE tool has the potential to be used as a guide for enhancing consumer engagement opportunities and for research purposes. Further evidence about the validity of the tool is required, including criterion-related validity and utility in other health settings.

Patient/public contribution: This project is part of a wider 'CanEngage' project that includes a consumer investigator and is supported by a consumer advisory group. This study was completed in active partnership with members of a consumer advisory group from diverse backgrounds. Feedback was sought from the members throughout the development process of the tool with findings discussed with the CanEngage group members in scheduled meetings.

Keywords: audit tool; consumer engagement; facility design; health service design; physical environment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Development and validation process of the Audit for Consumer Engagement tool (consumer advisory group [CAG]; project steering group [PSG])
Figure 2
Figure 2
Audit for Consumer Engagement Tool
Figure 2
Figure 2
Audit for Consumer Engagement Tool
Figure 2
Figure 2
Audit for Consumer Engagement Tool
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. World Health Organization . Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021‐2030. WHO; 2021.
    1. Health Consumers NSW. Who is Health Consumer? And Other Definitions. Vol 2022. Health Consumers NSW; 2019. https://www.hcnsw.org.au/consumers-toolkit/who-is-a-health-consumer-and-...
    1. Carman KL, Dardess P, Maurer M, et al. Patient and family engagement: a framework for understanding the elements and developing interventions and policies. Health Aff. 2013;32(2):223‐231. - PubMed
    1. Clavel N, Paquette J, Dumez V, et al. Patient engagement in care: a scoping review of recently validated tools assessing patients' and healthcare professionals' preferences and experience. Health Expect. 2021;24(6):1924‐1935. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bombard Y, Baker GR, Orlando E, et al. Engaging patients to improve quality of care: a systematic review. Implement Sci. 2018;13(1):98. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types